Arizona recently released an updated Form A1-QRT, Quarterly Withholding Tax Return. This form is used by businesses to report their quarterly withholding amounts and payment deposits.

 

There are a few changes to the latest version of this form, which are as follows:

To review the A1-QRT Form in full, please click here.

Oregon recently published their updated Combined Payroll Tax Report for 2018. This publication primarily serves as an instructional and regulatory guide for employers filing and remitting taxes related to their businesses.

 

There are a number of updates to this publication from previous years, which are as follows:

To review this publication in full, please click here.

The IRS has updated Publication 5258. Publication 5258 is the ACA Information Returns Submission Composition and Reference Guide and is used to electronically file Forms 1094 B and C, and Form 1095 B and C with the IRS.

 

Tables 5-4, 5-8, and 5-10 were updated to remove a statement that said “UserID is not required for UI submissions.” Section 5.3.1.1 was updated to include a missing “Al” for Algorithm, and Section 5.3.1.1 and 5.3.1.4 updated canonicalization method algorithms and the ACA Security Header User ID.

 

To view the updated Publication 5258, please click here.

The Oregon Department of Revenue has published its Form OR-WR Oregon Annual Withholding Tax Reconciliation Report, to be used for reporting information related to Tax Year 2018. The return’s due date is 1/31/2019. This form is now used to reconcile both withholding and statewide transit taxes; previous versions of the form were only used for withholding. As such, the DOR has made some formatting changes to this form to accommodate the reconciliation of statewide transit tax. The instructions relating to withholding reconciliation have not changed.

West Virginia's Tax Department published the 2017 version of the Electronic Media Specifications for 1099s and W-2Gs.  There are no substantive changes from the 2016 Specifications.  To view the specifications in full, please follow the link.

Mississippi updated their Withholding Tax FAQs.  While there are no substantive changes to the FAQs, the Department of Revenue has now included links to key documents and websites.  To read the updated FAQs, please follow the link.

As a follow up to Information Notice 2017-01 issued in January 2018, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue recently issued new 1099-MISC Withholding Tax Requirements. These instructions contain reporting and payment instructions for payers responsible for reporting payment data relating to 1099-MISC reporting to the state of Pennsylvania.

 

Beginning on January 1, 2018, anyone making the following payments must withhold at the statutory rate of 3.07%:

Withholding is optional for payors and lessees paying less than $5,000 annually: reporting is mandatory at and over the $5,000 threshold. Governmental payors are exempt from the withholding requirement as it relates to non-employee compensation and business income.

 

Please note that a failure to withhold on 1099-MISC income under Act 43 of 2017 will not be subject to assessment if that withholding period ended prior to July 1, 2018. However, taxes withheld during this period must be filed and remitted as required by law. Additionally, the PA Department of Revenue expects that payors/lessors who have filing obligations relating to the 1099-MISC, with boxes 16 and 17 completed, will be filed timely with the Department by January 2019.

 

Any payor or lessee with filing and payment requirements must file and pay electronically. In order to do so, they must apply for a 1099-MISC withholding account by completing PA-100 (PA Enterprise Registration Form) electronically at https://www.pa100.state.pa.us. Filers with an existing employer withholding account may use their existing account and do not need a separate 1099-MISC withholding account.

 

To review these new instructions in full, please click here.

The IRS has updated Publication 5258, the AIR Submission Composition and Reference Guide. There are a number of changes from the previous revision:

 

To view the updated Publication 5258, please click here.

The State of Hawaii Department of Taxation recently published an updated version of Booklet A, Employer’s Tax Guide. This publication provides detailed information on filing and paying withholding tax in the state of Hawaii.

 

This publication was last updated in 2013, so there are several updates to the language of the publication. These changes are as follows:

To review this publication in full, please click here.

The IRS has released the 2018 General Instructions for Certain Information Returns. These instructions provide filers with information they need to help file a variety of 1099 and 5498 forms. There are a number of changes from the previous revision:

 To view the 2018 General Instructions, please click here.

The State of Oregon Employment Department recently released their 2018 Plain Paper Specifications. These specifications are used to create substitute versions of Form 132 and other print resources.

 

There is only one change to the 2018 version of the specifications, which is:

To review these specifications in full, please click here.

Maine's Revenue Services recently published a 2018 version of Form W-3ME, the Reconciliation of Maine Income Tax Withheld in 2018. There are no changes to the form itself.  Electronic copies of payee statements must be filed with the Maine Revenue Services no later than January 31.  The filing date is still February 28.

 

To view W-3ME, please follow the link.

The State of Hawaii Department of Taxation recently published a number of updated forms used for withholding tax reporting and payment purposes. These forms and slips have been updated, but include only minimal changes for Tax Year 2017/Filing Year 2018.

 

HW-2: State Income Tax Withheld and Wages Paid

HW-3: Employer’s Annual Return and Reconciliation of Hawaii Income Tax Withheld from Wages

HW-4: Employee’s Withholding Allowance and Status Certificate

HW-14: Withholding Tax Return

HW-26: Application for Extension of Tine to File the Employer’s Annual Return & Reconciliation of HI Income Tax Withheld

To review these forms in full, please click on the links included in the form titles above.

North Carolina's Department of Revenue recently updated Form eNC3, the Specifications for 1099 Reporting.  There have been no changes to the specifications.  The DOR has changed the deadline for Form 1099-K from March 31 to January 31.

 

To read the specifications in full, please follow the link.

The IRS announced a new and regular backup withholding rate for the 2018 Form W-2G. Form W-2G is used to report gambling winnings and any federal income tax withheld on those winnings.

 

Effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, the withholding rate applicable to winnings of $5,000 or more from sweepstakes, wagering pools, certain pari-mutuel pools, jai alai, and lotteries has been reduced from 25% to 24%.

 

Additionally, effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, the backup withholding rate applicable to certain winnings where the winner doesn’t furnish a correct taxpayer identification number has been reduced from 28% to 24%.

 

To view the announcement, please click here.

The IRS has published its 2018 version of Publication 515, Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Entities. This publication provides substantive guidance to those with Form 1042-S filing obligations under FATCA and for payments to nonresident aliens (Chapter 4 and 3 withholding, respectively). There are several revisions and updates of which filers should be aware:

The Massachusetts Department of Revenue has released TIR 18-2, which contains the penalty schedule for individuals who fail to obtain health insurance in 2018, as mandated by Massachusetts law. Individuals who are able to afford health insurance coverage, but fail to obtain it, will be subject to penalties for each month of noncompliance. Penalties will be imposed on each noncompliant individual’s income tax return. The Massachusetts mandate, reporting obligations, and penalties are still in effect notwithstanding the repeal of the federal individual mandate in last year’s tax reform bill.

Congress recently passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law No. 115-123). As a result of the bill passing, the mortgage insurance premium deduction has been extended for tax year 2017.

 

Mortgage insurance premiums are reported on Box 5 of Form 1098.

 

To view the bill in its entirety, please click here.